The present invention relates to carriages and more particularly, to means for mounting an auxiliary unit such as a seat or the like on a carriage.
The prior art includes a number of mobile carriages or dollies and accessories therefore. Many of these dollies or carriages include articulated legs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,376 to Krilanovich discloses a wheel steering mechanism for camera dollies and the like. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,455 to Fiorentini discloses a universal truck with steering and driving wheels. Fisher, U.S. patent application No. 4,335,626 describes a variable ratio rotary positioning mechanism and camera dolly steering mechanisms embodying same. U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,116 to Summers, et al. discloses a steering mechanism for a camera dolly. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,444 to Johnson discloses a steering mechanism for a mobile carriage. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,584 to Zelli discloses a dolly with articulated and steerable wheels. None of the devices of the prior art, however, disclose a means for mounting an auxiliary apparatus such as a seat or the like on such mobile dollies or carriages at or near the bearings which support the dolly or carriage wheels or articulated legs. This failing of the prior art increases the difficulty and decreases the comfort to the user of such a carriage or dolly. Similarly, none of the prior art teaches the use of contaminant shields similar to those of the present invention.
For example, the above U.S. patents to Zelli and Johnson disclose mobile carriages with steerable wheels. Neither of those patents, however, suggest or disclose the use of a contaminant shield similar to that of the present invention nor do they suggest or disclose the ability to mount an auxiliary apparatus such as a seat or the like to the frame of such a mobile dolly or carriage through a contaminant shield. Similarly, although the Summers, et al. patent does disclose an upper bearing cover (37), nothing in that patent suggests or discloses a means for mounting an auxiliary apparatus such as a seat or the like on the mobile dolly or carriage in conjunction with a contaminant shield at or near the bearings which support the dolly or carriage wheels or articulated legs similar to the present invention. Lastly, U.S. patent to Gerry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,032 also fails to disclose the means for mounting an auxiliary apparatus such a seat or the like on a mobile dolly or carriage in conjunction with a contaminant shield at or near the bearings which support the mobile dolly or carriage wheels or articulated legs.